1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an adjustable stabilizing weight assembly for mounting to a bow to balance and dampen vibrations which result when shooting a bow. More particularly, the invention relates to a bow stabilizer shaft attachment offset to the stabilizer shaft and capable of providing an infinite number of stabilization settings by the axial and radial positioning of the stabilizer on the bow stabilizer shaft while providing a number of different additional functions such as the storage of tools and the removal of arrowheads which become lodged in a tree or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years archery and bow hunting has seen a resurgence in popularity and with it the development of numerous improvements to the bow and associated tools and implements. The improvements to the archery bows have been principally through the design and development of the compound bow which employs a series of eccentrically mounted pulleys at the ends of the bow. The mechanical arrangement of cables and pulleys of the compound bow provides a release force on the arrow many times that of the drawing force. The major disadvantage of the compound bow is the increased weight and the poor balance from the cables and pulleys resulting in greater difficulty in maintaining stability of the bow. Compound bows also have required the archer to carry additional tools to sometimes adjust and fix the bow in the field.
Attempts have been made to compensate for the increased weight and poor balancing characteristics of the bow which generally comprise a counterbalancing weight mounted on the bow in a suitable location to equalize and properly balance the weight.
In addition to weight distribution, the compound bow suffers from vibrational movements during shooting which decrease the range and accuracy of the arrow. The vibrations to the bow occur in a number of directions resulting from the oscillations of the bow string the instant the arrow is released. In particular, the handle portion has a tendency to vibrate in the axial direction to the path of the arrow and in a circular manner about the handle. A stabilizer, which comprises essentially a weight at the end of an arm, when positioned on the bow tends to dampen some of these vibrations. Accordingly, the prior art has proposed several positioning arrangements to dampen the translational and rotational shock as well as balance the bow during shooting thereby attempting to increase the accuracy and convenience of shooting without unduly increasing the weight.
The prior art has achieved only limited success in effectively stabilizing the bow and dampening the vibrational movement. One form of the prior art generally employs a weighted member fixed to the end of a shaft as disclosed in Enomoto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,486 and Izuta, U.S. Pat. No. 3,804,072. These devices employ a plurality of fixed weights disposed at the end of an arm which extends in different directions and from different locations from the bow. This type of arrangement tends to be cumbersome to use and necessitates disassembly of the unit prior to storage.
Another example of a prior art bow stabilizer is disclosed in Sanders, U.S. Pat. No. 3,342,172. In this arrangement a weight member is pivotally mounted to a mounting plate secured to the front face of the handle portion of the bow. The pivotal mounting allows the archer to adjust the weight upward or downward with respect to the bow and to pivot the weight out of the way when not in use. This arrangement provides only a limited linear adjustment of the weight and limited weight distribution depending on the particular needs of the archer. The adjustment limitations tend to reduce the effectiveness of the stabilizer system and unnecessarily increase the weight of the bow.
Other forms of the prior art stabilizers include a pair of stabilizers consisting of a weight member positioned at the end of a shaft or leg which is pivotal from two points about a vertical axis and a horizontal axis from the bow. Examples of this type of device are disclosed in Hoyt, U.S. Pat. No. 4,054,121 and Topping, U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,522. This type of arrangement provides a universal angular adjustment which although more versatile than some of the prior art still has exhibited limited success. Stabilizers of this sort have the disadvantage of having a limited axial positioning capability of the weight. The weights are positioned a fixed distance from the bow and are only adjustable about an arcuate path. By having the weights fixed to the outer ends of the shafts, the stabilizer device is not readily retractable for easy maneuverability or enclosing within a storage case.
Morita, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,142 is representative of a stabilizer used to dampen the vibrations of the bow string by employing a pair of arms supporting a weight extending outwardly from the bow to form an essentially U-shaped pattern. The arms are pivotable about the vertical axis of the bow to adjust the weight up or down. This device also suffers from the disadvantage of not providing a full positioning range of the weight thereby limiting its effectiveness and requiring disassembly in order to conveniently store the bow.
Another form of the prior art stabilizing device is shown in Hoyt, U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,350 relating to a weight member telescopically adjustable on a support. The support extends directly forward from the handle position of the bow to distance the weight from the bow. The stabilizer being positioned in the forward direction is not able to dampen the vibrations which occur axially to the shaft.
A further form of a stabilizing device is shown in Masterfield, U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,608 which employs a fixed rod extending forwardly from the bow where the rod is filled with a viscous fluid. A removable weight is attached to the extreme end of the rod which may be replaced with a selection of different weights of different mass as desired by the archer. This arrangement also is of limited utility by having the weight in a fixed position on the bow and a fixed distance forward from the bow handle. As with most of the prior art devices, it is necessary to disassemble the unit before storage due to its length and fixed position.
During hunting the archer often has a need for various tools to adjust the bow, straighten arrows, remove an arrowhead from a tree and the like. As a result the archer is forced to carry a suitable pack containing these appertenances thereby increasing the burden of shooting and hunting in the field. Efforts have been made in the past to reduce this load and burden by developing multipurpose tools such that the number of tools carried is reduced.
One example of the prior art efforts to reduce the number of tools carried by an archer or hunter is disclosed in Duke, U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,697 and Ament, U.S. Pat. No. 4,584,983. In this arrangement a bow stabilizer is designed to alternatively serve as an arrowhead remover. In this type of device a removable balancing weight is secured to the end of a rod threaded to the bow handle. When the device is used as an arrowhead remover, the rod is removed from the bow and screwed onto the thread connection of the arrowhead. The weight is arranged to be slidable along the shaft to hammer against a stop or anvil on the shaft to apply a withdrawing force to the arrowhead. These prior art devices have been shown to have a limited effect on dampening the vibrations and proper balancing since the weight required to effectively remove the arrowhead exceeds that necessary to balance the bow. In addition, the fixed weights are not adjustable to a suitable stabilizing position.
A further example of this type of dual purpose tool is shown in Kocsan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,204 where the weight member of the stabilizer is provided with a set-screw to adjustably vary the position of the weight on a straight rod. When it is desirable to use the device to remove an arrowhead, the rod is removed from the bow and screwed onto the arrowhead. With the set-screw loosened the weight is slidable on the rod and can be used to hammer against an anvil portion to remove the arrowhead.
The general concept of utilizing a slide hammer type of tool to remove arrowheads which have been lodged in a tree are further exemplified in Hoggard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,150,469 and 4,043,020 and Geary, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,927.
Other examples of the prior art have proposed a bow stabilizer employing a tool as the weight means thereby creating a dual-function device. For example, Penney, U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,258 employs a flashlight as the stabilizer weight while Ipock, U.S. Pat. 4,633,846 utilizes a knife or track line for the weight. Ryan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,159 discloses the general concept of mounting a camera on the bow handle which serves to help balance the bow.
The prior art devices have not provided an effective balancing and stabilizing system for a bow due to the excessive weight and the mounting arrangements which limit the positioning of the weights. In addition, these devices have not utilized to the fullest extent the possible alternative uses of the weight in order to reduce the number of tools to be carried by the archer and the weight associated therewith.
The present invention is directed primarily to a bow stabilizer providing for a unique weight distribution system not heretofore known. The novel stabilizer includes a shaft extending from the handle portion of the bow with a weight member offset from the shaft and infinitely radially and axially positionable to the shaft. The weight is slidable and pivotable about the shaft to provide a multitude of positions and a weight distribution depending on the needs of the archer.
The present invention further eliminates the need for the archer to carry a separate tool kit or pack by employing a tool container as the adjustable weight member. By utilizing a tool kit as the weight, an effective balancing means is obtained which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture The present stabilizing device provides an effective and compact means for balancing and dampening the shock otherwise occurring while avoiding he above-noted deficiencies of the prior art.